As I sit down to write this, Anna is babbling in her crib. I put her to bed five minutes ago, and I’m wondering what will happen. Will toddler Anna babble and play and put herself to sleep? Or will baby Anna babble, and fuss, and cry, and eventually need Mama to come in and
A few months before Mary’s birthday, she started planning her party. I generally don’t start making actual plans for her birthday until after Thomas’s birthday, but this year I made an exception. Mary is the youngest in her class, and she has been positively hungry to turn six for a long time. (She’s actually the third youngest.
A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2019. When people ask my advice about whether to redshirt kids for kindergarten (Actually, scratch that. Literally not one person has asked me for advice. When I offer unsolicited advice…) I always say — the best thing to do is don’t have a summer baby. Then
When Anna had a broken wrist, every time we went anywhere, I’d notice people noticing her cast. A mom would casually walk over, say hello, and then ask, “What happened to her arm?” I tell the story and to their utter horror, it’s completely unsatisfying. Anna fell off a child-size chair onto a carpeted floor.
A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2019. We have had a good week but a busy week. I cannot wait for the end of school. These last few weeks are like the last trimester of pregnancy — that final rush of weight gain and heart burn finally makes you genuinely
Anna is 18 months old and she is as independent in the pool as an 18-month old can be. She can jump in, she goes down the slide, and she kicks herself where ever she needs to go. When David was a baby, he was happiest in the water. It was so much fun to
Often when I’m getting ready, Mary will wander into the bathroom to be with me. She asks if she can be fancy, too, so I lift her onto the vanity and hand her a makeup brush or lip gloss wand. She gazes into the mirror quietly, studying her reflection. The corners of her mouth lift
The 52 Project — A photo of my children once a week, every week, in 2019. David / He built this inconspicuous tower in the middle of our living room and doesn’t understand why no one will leave him alone. The sign says, “Do not talk to David while he’s reading.” Mary / One morning just before
This afternoon the kids jumped in the pool as soon as they got home from school, and I made frozen pizza and served it on a giant tray instead of taking the time to put it on individual plates. They ate, then jumped back into the water. Summer. They were playing so well together that
I feel like I’m in a weird in-between stage of parenting. I’ve got two big kids who are in full-day elementary school, and I’ve got two little ones at home with me. This one-foot-in-each-world is not unique to me, I know. But it’s tough on the sentimental side of me that wants to mark